The Dragons' Gift
by mamoswineFTW
Summary: The aftermath of the Blood-Oath celebration differs from canon. Thrust back in time with his memories intact, how does Eragon cope with his new knowledge, and can he influence his fate? Rated T to be safe, may go up as story develops  long term .
1. Prologue

**The Dragons' Gift: Prologue**

**A Sight all too Familiar**

_Faster and faster spun Iduna and Nëya until their feet were a dusty blur and their hair fanned about them and they glistened with a film of sweat. The elf-maids accelerated to an inhuman speed and the music climaxed in a frenzy of chanted phrases. Then a flare of light ran the length of the dragon tattoo, from head to tail, and the dragon stirred. At first Eragon thought his eyes had deceived him, until the creature blinked, raised his wings, and clenched his talons._

_A burst of flame erupted from the dragon's maw and he lunged forward and pulled himself free of the elves' skin, climbing into the air, where he hovered, flapping his wings. The tip of his tail remained connected to the twins below, like a glowing umbilical cord. The giant beast strained toward the black moon and loosed an untamed roar of ages past, then turned and surveyed the assembled elves._

_As the dragon's baleful eye fell upon him, Eragon knew that the creature was no mere apparition but a conscious being bound and sustained by magic. Saphira and Glaedr's humming grew ever louder until it blocked all other sound from Eragon's ears. Above, the specter of their race looped down over the elves, brushing them with an insubstantial wing. It came to a stop before Eragon, engulfing him in an endless, whirling gaze. Bidden by some instinct, Eragon raised his right hand, his palm tingling._

_In his mind echoed a voice of fire: __**Our gift so you may do what you must**__._

_The dragon bent his neck and, with his snout, touched the heart of Eragon's gedwëy ignasia. A spark jumped between them, and Eragon went rigid as incandescent heat poured through his body, consuming his insides. His vision flashed red and black, and the scar on his back burned as if branded. Fleeing to safety, he fell deep within himself, where darkness grasped him and he had not the strength to resist it._

_Last, he again heard the voice of fire say, __**Our gift to you**__._

_(Excerpt taken from pages 468-469 of American hard cover copy of Eldest)_

Eragon awoke to the light of the harvest moon playing lightly upon his face, and the scent of smoke suffusing his nostrils. Head pounding, he slowly sat up.

In a distant portion of his mind, the dry feel of grass was tickling against his palm, yet this was processed automatically without making its way to his conscious mind. At this point, all he was concerned with was something to quench his sudden thirst.

That train of thought evaporated at the sight that now stood before him.

A clearing of smoldering grass and trees, with smoke drifting its way around. A scene all too familiar to the young Rider, the clarity of teh moment undulled by the intervening time.

Lying there, perfectly in the centre of the blast radius sat a mist-shrouded object. An oval rock, approximately a foot long.

Dark blue, with white veins splayed across its smooth surface.

Eragon's brain struggled to comprehend what his eyes were telling him. How, in the gods' names, was it possible for him to be looking upon Saphira's egg?

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><p><em><strong>Well, here's the prologue of a story that has been long-time in the works. An idea I had when I was waiting for Inheritance to come out, and I finally decided to put into words.<strong>_

_**I've actually drafted the first few chapters, so updates should be fairly regular to start off with. This is a small teaser for what is to come, to get the idea out there and get some people hooked (hopefully). If anyone would like to beta for me, that would be epic! Unlike my other(failed) attempts at stories, this will work - I actually have an idea of where the story is going, as opposed to making it up as I go along!**_

_**Update in a few days' time. Until then,**_

_**Ratty**_

_****Sé onr sverdar sitja hvass!_


	2. Chapter 1

From previous: _Eragon's brain struggled to comprehend what his eyes were telling him. How, in the gods' names, was it possible for him to be looking upon Saphira's egg?_

**The Dragons' Gift**

**Chapter 1: Rediscovery**

The hoot of an owl piercing the stillness of the night wrenched Eragon back to reality.

Yet, the sheer impossibility of the moment halted any attempts to move his body. To go from Ellesméra, in the heart of Du Weldenvarden in mid-summer back to this clearing deep in the Spine, and the year before? In all the scrolls he had perused in his time with Master Oromis, he had never come accross something like this.

And all too suddenly, another fact forced its way into the front of his mind. Rather, the lack of another prescence.

'_Saphira!_' he yelled through his thoughts, to no reply.

The comforting consciousness of his partner of mind-and-soul was faint, but still there. Never since his days in Gil'ead had the connection been so faint, as though trying to penetrate an impermeable fog. Calming himself, as taught on the Crags of Tel'Naéir, Eragon reached out once more, trying to pinpoint his partner.

A faint humming could be felt, from the stone... egg.

'_Of course!_' he berated himself. '_Saphira's in there. But this shouldn't be possible..._' again Eragon found himself in conflict. The last thing he could recall was the voice of fire, and mention of a gift. '_This can't be a trick of Galbatorix's, could it?_' but no answer was forthcoming. The lack of her ever-present mind was still hard to wrap his head around at this point.

Feeling strangely nostalgic, Eragon nocked an arrow and slowly entered the clearing. Even as he concentrated on the possibility of danger, another part of his mind acknowledged that there was a slight strain that hadn't been present before his... appearance... back in time. '_I have my memories, but not my physical changes._' he thought. However, he quashed this train of thought as he got closer to the blue stone.

Her prescence was stronger now, and Eragon felt a rush of relief. Less than a foot away now, he discarded his bow and reached for the object that had unimaginably changed his life 9 months previously.

As soon as his fingers came into contact with its surface, an excited squeak pierced the night, and the previously smooth surface disrupted into a web of cracks. In his surprise, Eragon reared back for an instant.

Furiously rocking now, with one last cracking noise the top piece fell off, and out came a small, dark blue head followed by a weirdly angled body. His joy at being reunited with his other half evaporated as the baby dragon leaped forth and touched her head to his right palm, prompting a mental explosion as the bond was recreated.

'_Eragon! Eragon! Eragon!_' he now found his arms full of an ecstatic dragon, as she bounced around and nuzzled him. Content to abandon serious thought for the moment, the young Rider allowed himself to bask in the pure joy of the situation. Her entire consciousness now melded with his own, he felt complete.

Minutes later, Eragon got to his feet, Saphira still in his arms. '_I can't remember the last time you were this small_.' he remarked to the little creature, who became irate at his comment.

'_Enjoy it while you can, I'll be big again soon!_' she snapped back. Breathing deeply, she continued '_I was... frightened. I remember the apparition, and then the next thing was darkness and being confined. I did not like it_.' Shuddering slightly, the dragon ensconced herself fully in her Rider's arms, enjoying the feeling of safety.

Absently running his fingers over her scales, sparkling in the muted light of the harvest moon, he posed the question that was currently overpowering all other thoughts '_How is this possible Saphira? No magic I have ever heard of could ever do something like this_.'

'_You forget that we dragons are not bound by your limits. As I did with Brom's tomb, there are many things unknown about our true powers_.' Despite the severity oft he situation, Eragon could detect an inkling of superiority in the proud dragon's mind. Grinning to himself, he scratched her just on her nose, where she likes it, and was rewarded with pleased humming.

'_At least I'm not as small as a rabbit,' _he noted lightly. '_Then again, you weren't the only one affected. I noticed that simply drawing my bow was slightly harder, it's as if all that changed was our memories..._' the dragon suddenly paused in her grooming.

'_Eragon! What about your back?_' Realising what she was referring to, he carefully lowered her to the ground and then hesitantly reached around to the nape of his neck. Feeling naught but smooth skin, he hurriedly lifted his rough, homespun shirt over his head. Turning his back to her, he waited with bated breath for his partner to give him her verdict.

'_Look._' she intoned, before he found his mind moving until it melded fully with hers, and looked through her eyes.

There, upon his back, was absolutely smooth and unblemished skin.

Feeling his consciousness returning to his own body, the young Shur'tugal sank to his knees in relief and simply wept. Gone was the debilitating injury from his encounter with the Shade. No longer would he be afflicted by his fits. The last words of the dragons came to him: _**Our gift to you**_. The specter of their race had truly given him a gift beyond all equal.

Saphira hummed in response once again, her human's sheer happiness suffusing her entire being as well.

Eventually, Eragon composed himself and returned to his feet. Replacing his clothes, he unstrung his box and put his wooen-frame pack on. Newly invigorated by his happiness, he was ready to set off once more.

Saphira interrupted his thoughts now '_What are we to do now? Is this the gift they spoke of?_' And at that he paused.

Incredibly, they now had close to 9 months of future knowledge, as well as training in the Ancient language and swordsmanship. '_Though that will take some work, as those muscles don't seem to have come back with me_.' he mused to himself.

And then even more facts become aware to him. Uncle Garrow was still alive! Brom! Murtagh! Yet, in contrast, since Saphira's egg was here it meant that Arya had been captured by Durza, who was also still alive at this juncture.

'_How are we supposed to deal with this Saphira? I think the trader's are coming in about 3 weeks, and that is when the Ra'zac come. Are we strong enough to defeat them?_' and he entertained himself with thoughts of how to dispose of the evil servants of the King.

'_Do not think we are all powerful now Eragon. Whilst we may have vast knowledge, your current body has no training. Additionally, I am still too small,_ and this was said with great reluctance from the dragon, '_to aid you in a fight. it is better that we leave straight away._'

Whilst his rational mind acknowledged the wisdom in her words, his heart tugged at the thought of seeing his Uncle again. Roran as well, whom he hadn't seen since his cousin had left to go to Therinsford.

'_What about Brom? We can take him with us_.' he argued. Eragon had come to love his first mentor like the father he never had during their travels, before he had been so cruelly ripped from their lives.

'_Then perhaps not leave immediately. Perhaps head back to Carvahall, and then leave as soon as possible. Draw the Ra'zac away from the town completely. And rescue Arya!'_

Eragon again found himself berating his priorities. Whilst all might be well for them, his most trusted companion was most likely at this moment being tortured in Gil'ead.

'_We have to save her! And make sure Murtagh doesn't die with Ajihad. And Brom at Dras-Leona. And Uncle Garrow and..._' he started to become slightly hysterical with the numerous possible paths available to him at this moment.

'_Calm down_.' Saphira stated flatly, ever the voice of reason. '_There are many things we can change, but we must focus on the task at hand. Most importantly, I am starving_.' she stated it so matter of factly that he could not help himself but to laugh.

'_Quiet. I can't hunt properly at this time, so you need to catch me something. And you also need to get something so that we can avoid that despicable man when we get back, that Sloan_.' Though Eragon was reluctant to kill with his newfound sanctity for life, as a consequence of his meditations outside Oromis' hut, he also recognised the need for it. Having meat meant that he could avoid showing her egg to Sloan, though that was now a moot point, but also that he wouldn't have to owe Horst. And hopefully it would make it a bit easier for his uncle when he inevitably left.

Reaching out with his awareness, Eragon found the mind of the young deer he had been tracking prior to the appearance of Saphira's egg, and using one of the twelve words of death taught by his Master instantly killed it. Whilst he felt remorse for his actions, it was a necessary act. The deer's foreleg was so badly damaged that it would anyway have perished soon, so he was able to reconcile that fact with his conscience.

Picking up the baby dragon and draping her on his shoulders, he set off in the direction of the body. His path ahead may not be the clearest, but he was certain that he could improve the outlook of the coming months.

* * *

><p><em><strong>Well, the first Chapter here we go! Apologies for the brevity of t<strong>__**he prologue, it was simply intended as a short hook. Also, this chapter wasn't quite ready, so I wanted to get that bit out there.**_

_**SannB: haha, when I learnt to touch type I unfortunately got into the bad habit of typing 'teh' instead of 'the'. Hopefully with a beta-reader it should be caught, it seems no matter how hard I try when I really get into the writing of something it just comes back.**_

_**falling towards nothing: I'm super excited to have a beta, to catch those sorts of aforementioned mistakes, but I don't really know how the whole thing works. Message me and we'll figure the rest of it out. **_

_**To the rest of you: keep reading, and enjoy! If there are enough reviews, I might even post a few Omakes as to what could have happened - humorous things I came up with when planning this out. So keep on reviewing, and message me if you have your own idea you wan included. **_

_**Expect the next update with the week, until then,**_

_**Ratty**_

__Sé onr sverdar sitja hvass!__


	3. Chapter 2

From previous: '_His path ahead may not be the clearest, but he was certain that he could improve the outlook of the coming months_.'

**The Dragons' Gift**

**Chapter 2: Preparation**

Eragon Shadeslayer, the first new Rider in over one hundred years, collapsed tiredly onto his bed.

'_Saphira, where are you?_' he called out with his mind, to the empty room. '_Still hunting?_' While normally they would remain in each others' minds the entire time, she had wanted to try out something new. Something she wanted to surprise him with.

'_Here I am, worry not Little One_.' Came the reply, laced with haughtiness. As he opened his a single, bleary eye, a feat laced with great effort in his current state, he could make out the significantly larger shape of his sapphire companion.

It was astonishing the rate at which she grew. Exponential to say the least. In fact, it seemed even faster than the last time. She was already closer to the size of a stag, yet two weeks since her hatching.

'_What were you out practicing this time?_' he asked, his eye closing again. '_Frightening some poor birds? Oh, what a fearsome picture you must have posed._' His sarcasm was evident in the words.

'_Oh hush. Look at you, the mighty warrior exhausted after a day of working in the fields. A fine Rider you are!_' though the words were harsh, the amusement in their tones lent to the lightness of the situation. After so much time among the elves, it felt comforting to not have to worry about how to watch what they said. To have everyone judging the slight nuances of a casual conversation. '_For your information, I have discovered something significant. Look!_'

'_As you command, goddess mine._' Groaning with the effort of stretching, Eragon sat up on the bed and properly focussed on his partner. His fatigue seemed to evaporate at the sight before him – smoke streaming from Saphira's nostrils. '_How is that possible? It took months before you could get to that stage last time!_' he exclaimed.

'_Exactly why I wanted to test it. I think the magic we have been practicing might have something to do with it, along with my increased growth._' The smug dragon explained.

Ever since their return to the farm, on top of his daily chores Eragon worked on building up his magic reserves and physical strength, in secret. He wanted to be in the best form possible before they had to hit the road, and the blue dragon was of a similar mindset. She herself had focussed on strengthening her flight, and juvenile body. And apparently, her dormant fire-breathing abilities.

'_You should be able to produce flame much sooner than we thought. Well before we even reach the Hadarac!_' the possibilities raced through their shared mind. Dragon fire would be an excellent advantage in the attempt to rescue Arya.

The ebony-haired Elven Princess had been at the forefront of their minds the past weeks. A great friend to them both, every minute she spent in the clutches of the vile Durza made them both shiver with worry. But neither yet had a proper plan of action for the rescue itself. There were just so many variables to consider.

'_I think it's set – we should leave after the traders come next week_.' This was their main plan thus far. The particulars still needed to be sorted out.

Garrow had been ecstatic when Eragon had strode back to the farm, a deer carcass in tow. Furthermore, a brace of rabbits he had come across on the way home had lead to a hearty meal that very night. Whilst Roran and his cousin had persevered in the fields, Eragon's Uncle had spent a day curing the majority of the deer's meat in preparation for the lengthy winter. With another hunting trip planned prior to the Traders' Market, there appeared to be the possibility of a somewhat-comfortable winter.

'_And with one less mouth to feed, it should last even longer._' The Rider mulled across their shared connection. His dragon simply hummed one of her strange tunes while licking at her talons. He dare not think about dragons and their vanity, lest she pick up on those thoughts. '_We just need a way to convince Roran to stay_.'

'_How about we 'find' something in the Spine? Something that could be traded for proper coin with those traders._' His visage lit up at that thought.

'_My gracious thanks, oh beautiful dragon, for such a brilliant proposal. Oh, if only my feeble human mind could have comprehended such ingenuity on its own!_' though the words seemed over the top, the sentiment itself was sincere. Via his knowledge gained under Oromis' tutelage, there would be a simple way to create something, that while insignificant to the resident of Du Weldenvarden would appear magnificent to the simple men and women of Carvahall, and in turn the travelling traders. '_But still, we have not sorted out the situation with Brom. How do we convince him to come with us? I don't know if telling him the truth straight away is a good idea, but we can't appear too naïve. He's too sharp for that._'

'_We shall cross that road when we come to it. We will have days to concentrate on it during our next 'hunt'. After all it won't take more than a few hours' work to obtain the meat, and whatever you choose to make.'_ Eragon could see the wisdom in this plan.

The old storyteller/accomplished rider/Varden fighter was a conundrum in their eyes. He was powerful in his own right, and would be a welcome asset in rescuing Arya.

The problem lay with his trained observational skills. It would be impossible to hide their extensive knowledge of the Ancient Language, advanced knowledge of the world outside Palancar Valley, Swordsmen skills and whatever else. But the duo could not predict what his reaction would be to their revelation.

If they spoke the words in the Ancient Language, he would have no choice other than to believe them. And the more they spoke, the harder it would be to deny. After all, the only way that the elves were able to 'lie' was to speak half-truths, something that would not hold up in the face of direct questions and proper explanations.

'_I must hide – your Uncle approaches!_' and with a single snort, the dragon leapt off the ledge and winged off into the darkness. They had built her a secure nest up in one of the larger trees at the edge of the Spine. While a fair distance away by foot, it was but a few minutes' flight for the young-in-body dragon.

'Now Eragon, where are you hiding? Tired after a little work in the fields?' came the boisterous voice of his maternal uncle. Though normally a quieter man, the recent good fortune had improved his spirits remarkably. Rarely did Eragon's forays into the treacherous region bordering the Valley prove so fruitful, and with the prospect of an upcoming winter any extra meat would be invaluable. Eragon let a little smile play on his features at the thought of what effect his upcoming 'good fortune' would have on his Uncle's mood.

'I just want to sleep Uncle. Roran worked me too hard in the fields.' He weakly protested, though still in good spirits. It was more of a reaction than anything, as well as a bit of an act as he was supposed to be a tired teenager resting in his room.

'Get up you lazy boy. Dinner's on the table. Some of that meat of yours smells rather good right about now. Your cousin has threatened to eat your serving, and he did seem rather hungry when I left…' his Uncle didn't have to continue further, the young Rider had leapt up with newfound energy and raced past him. 'Youthful exuberance,' the man chuckle to himself, as he followed his nephew back to the kitchen.

* * *

><p><em><strong>A bajillion apologies to everyone following this story. While I could ply you with excuses, it boils down to me being somewhat lazy combined with a host of other things. Needless to say, I won't leave you guys hanging for so long again. I know how much it infuriates me to read stories like that, and I can't be sorry enough to make it up to you.<strong>_

_**My passion for this story has been reignited, and I have a much clearer idea as to the plot.**_

_**At this point I am planning on writing a whole bunch of chapters, and then editing/releasing them over a more regular time period. Would you mind a break of a couple of weeks, followed by weekly updates.**_

_**Ratty**_

_Sé onr sverdar sitja hvass!_


	4. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3: First steps to Divergence**

"Hurry up boy, I want to start heading for the town soon!"

"Coming, Uncle!" was the shouted reply.

Eragon Shadeslayer, the latest addition to the ranks of the defunct Dragon Riders of Alagaesia, and the last beacon of hope for the oppressed citizens of the land, looked around his room for the last time. Whilst his Uncle and cousin did not know it, he would not be returning to the house in which he grew up in. With a final, nostalgic sigh, he shouldered his weather-beaten pack and closed the door.

'_It's hard to leave knowing I'll never come back Saphira,_' the young Rider mentally sent to his dragon. '_Last time we didn't have a choice, but now making the decision...'_

'_I understand Eragon._' She replied, her deep voice comforting the young man. '_But this is for the best, you know that_.' And he did.

By leaving now, he would be able to shield his family from the suffering that had been brought upon them in his memories.

'_Time to go.' _He remarked. With a final scratch to the underside of her jaw, he stepped towards the staircase and closer to his waiting family members.

'_I wish you luck Little One, be safe_.' She sent lovingly back to him, and he paused in his step for a moment to bask in the affectionate feelings. It was hard for him to comprehend how he had ever truly lived his life without her companionship.

Continuing down the stairs and out the entrance of the only home he had ever known, Eragon came across the forms of his cousin and uncle, tapping their feet and ready to go.

"About time," Roran greeted his cousin. "If you'd been any slower we would have missed the traders entirely."

"Aye he's right," Garrow chimed in. "We've wasted enough time, let's get moving." Whilst always a loving parent to both the boys, Garrow was generally stressed and gruff, especially since the death of is wife. However, with the recent good fortune of the family he was happier and lighter than he had been in years, so Eragon knew he was not actually upset with the delay.

Contributing to that good fortune had been the results of the young man's latest trip into the Spine for meat. In addition to bringing back not one, but _two_ deer, Eragon had 'found' something.

It had taken quite some effort given his relatively weak magical reserves, but the Rider had been able to use his knowledge of the Ancient Language to summon the minute traces of gold from various parts of the forest, and then melding the precious metal dust together to create a misshapen hunk. It had then been a case of making sure it was dirty enough on the outside so that he could claim to have discovered it.

Upon presenting the fist-sized chunk to his Uncle, he was able to witness the relief on the older man's face. Whilst unwilling to totally believe the luck of the family, Garrow was certain that they would be able to trade this for a significant amount of coin, enough to not only let them last out the winter comfortably, but also to provide financial security for the family for quite some time to follow. With their hardworking nature, they would be quite prosperous from when spring came around again, and ideally for some years to follow.

Eragon also knew that this had a high chance of keeping Roran from leaving for Therinsford. In fact, he was fairly certain that given their probable new-found relative wealth, he would likely ask Katrina to marry him. Garrow would certainly approve, already knowing and liking the bright young girl, and despite his dislike of their family would not be able to refute the life they could provide for his only daughter.

This also had the benefit of providing more comfort to Eragon - if Katrina and Roran were to be married then she would move into the house, somewhat making up for the loss of the youngest member of the close family.

He still wasn't totally happy that he had to leave, but the needs of all those depending on him outweighed his childish desire to remain at home and live the simple life of a farmer. Besides, with Saphira in his life he would never be able to remain behind, and there was no way he could ever be without her.

He could sense her following them through the trees as the three men made their way towards the town. Just as the path left the treeline, he could feel her excitement as she caught the scent of some unfortunate prey. Chuckling inside as he felt the glee of his partner taking chase, the young man focused his attention on his family and continued towards Carvahall.

Only rarely joining in the conversation between Garrow and Roran, Eragon once again ran through the plan Saphira and he had devised during their planning.

The first step was to make sure that they received a fair amount for the gold piece. Whilst it was slightly immoral, Eragon would be passively reading the trader's mind in order to assure the deal, He was confident that Merlock, who they had tried to deal with before, wouldn't try to swindle them, but it would help his piece of mind.

The next stage would be to convince Brom to come with him, and then leave without anyone noticing. This would be tough, and given how unpredictable Eragon's first mentor had been impossible to ascertain the result of his revelation. Whilst it was true that one cannot lie in the Ancient Language, given the incredulity of the situation it was difficult to believe he would come with any haste. And unfortunately, time was against them. As it were, the thought of Arya suffering under Durza for any longer than absolutely necessary was already eating away at the consciences of both he and Saphira.

Whilst less of a priority, Eragon was also planning on acquiring some leather once again, though more legitimately this time. He had convinced Garrow to let him have the skins of the deer he had caught, and was hopeful that they and a little bit of coin could be traded for enough. He had always carried some guilt over having stolen from the kind villagers in the past, and was happy to have an alternative in mind.

They had tried to strategise for some of the more important events that would be approaching them in the future, but ultimately decided to wait until reunited with Brom to finalise those details. They both wanted to utilise the incredible gift of the ancient dragon spirits to the best of their ability, and the advice of the older Dragon Rider would be invaluable in ascertaining the best path to follow.

Forcing himself to pay more attention to the road, Eragon sped up a little to catch up to his cousin and uncle who had drifted ahead. He would make an effort to enjoy this last, carefree time spent with them. From then on, life was likely to get both more complicated and dangerous, and moments like this would be far and few between.

xxxxxx

_Sorry all. I have no excuse, except being lazy and unmotivated. I recently stumbled across a HPxInheritance Cycle crossover though (Double Jeopardy by Ruari.J.L) which really got me interested in this fandom once again. This short chapter just flowed out, so I hope you enjoy it._

_I can't make any promises for the future, but am tentatively planning on getting another chapter out at some point._ Happy New Year to all! _Ratty_


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